Increase Your E-Notion IQ - Creative Grids Rulers

Today I'm going to not only review one ruler....but I'm also going to share my opinion about an entire line of rulers from Creative Grids. 

Penny Haren introduced me to the Creative Grids Square It Up or Fussy Cut Square Ruler during a Checker Distributors Open House event. She had some fabulous quilts she had made from her book, "Pieced Applique."   Lets just say...Penny is very good with math....and with her design talent...she has made it possible for those who fear math to avoid having to do it themselves while quilting.  Her books are very detailed with lots of photos....you know how much I like that!  

 I have the 8 1/2" Fussy Cut- Square it Up ruler and I'm going to show you how I use it.  They come in a variety of sizes and shapes and I'll tell you about that later.

I just so happen to have this fun bird print fabric ("Dancing Chickens" from Timeless Treasures) and I only want to use the one chicken for a mug rug.  Sure I could eye-ball it....but I'm certain if I did that I would have a wonky mug rug and that just isn't what I'm looking for today. 

You can see that the chicken has been centered in the middle of the ruler...photo above.

 Next, I'm going to mark the exact points for my Fussy Cut Square.  There are small holes at the intersections for marking.  I took my Sewline Marking Pen (they rock!) and put a dot in each of the circles at the 4 1/2 inch mark.

I love the lines on this ruler (all Creative Grids Rulers) because I can see where the 1/4" seam will be and I know when I mark the fabric I'll just get the portion I want.

Next I lined up the dots at the 1/4" seam allowance marking because I want my design to be centered and still have the 1/4" seam.  If I didn't line it up that way, I could have cut exactly the size and leave off my seam allowance.  I've done this before...so you are probably not alone :)

You can see the dark dot in the upper right of the photo above.  That is the dot I'm going to line up on the ruler....see below.

 If you look very closely you will see a tiny bit of the black dot at the intersection of the 1/4" marking in the upper left of this picture.  I lined it up and cut out a perfect Dancing Chicken for a fun mug rug...a Christmas Gift. 

The dots you see on this ruler are the non-slip dots that keep your ruler from shifting on the fabric when you cut...I love the Creative Grids Non-Slip dots because they don't set on top of the ruler....they are made into the ruler...hope that makes sense.  Another way of saying that is,  they don't peal off because they are part of the acrylic.

If you CLICK HERE you will be able to see Penny Haren demonstrate her Fussy Cut-Square it Up Ruler and she is using it to square up her pieced blocks.    Below you can watch a different video of Penny centering designs for Prairie Points.  Talk about a cool tool....the Fussy Cut- Square it Up Rulers are really a fantastic addition to your sewing notions.

The first video is a bit out of date because the Square it Up / Fussy Cut Rulers come in these sizes:

• SQUARES: 6 1/2", 8 1/2", 9 1/2", 12 1/2", 14 1/2" and 16 1/2"
• Rectangle: 4 1/2" x 8 1/2"
• Triangles: 6 1/2" and 12 1/2"

Ok, now on to the Big Picture....the Creative Grids Products.   I really like the Creative Grids Rulers and Templates because they are so much easier for me to read.  The markings are in black and white and I find the black and white to be  much easier on my eyes.  They are clear.... I don't particularly care for frosted rulers...too hard for me to see as well as I'd like to.  The embedded non-slip dots keep the ruler from slipping on the fabric....a must for me!  I'm always impressed with the quality and design of their rulers too.  Creative Grids has several talented designers working with them and these people really know what they are doing.  They think of everything....I mean everything and then they make the knowledge accessible to everyone.

The coolest Creative Grids feature,  I love, love, love it..... is not on the rulers or templates at all....it is the Creative Grids Website.  There you will find all their products, descriptions, instructions, videos and as if that isn't enough....they also show you some of the designs that are possible with the ruler you are considering. The folks at Creative Grids have done everything I can think of to make using their rulers a positive experience...Bravo Creative Grids!

Guess you can tell I have a sincere appreciation for Creative Grids ay?  Can't hide it....if I'm thinking it...it just comes right out.

I hope this edition of Increase your E-Notion IQ has inspired you and educated you about another great product and product line for quilters, stitchers and sewers aka sewists (another new word is invented each day).

Centered Smiles,

Kelly